OFW guide: Some rules to remember when criticizing employees

December 19, 2012 4:00pm

One of the toughest tasks of bosses is giving their subordinates criticism without dampening the employee's and the company's morale.

If you do it harshly, you might end up discouraging the employee instead of motivating him.

On the other hand if you don't criticize, he might not realize his shortcomings.

The business news site Inc. compiled a list of tips on the proper use of criticism.

(1) Use criticism as feedback

When you criticize an employee, deliver it as feedback and not just pure criticism.

This will help your subodinate realize that you are doing this not to put him down but to make him realize his shortcomings and find room for improvement.

Delivering criticism as feedback also reduces tension when you talk with each other about the problems in his performance.

(2) Criticize continuously

Don't delay criticism, do it during the earliest signs of a reduced productivity or performance.

Providing late criticism will only burden both you and the employee as the problems would have piled up and would have become difficult to solve immediately.

Doing it continuously also creates a looping feedback mechanism that allows a good corrective system where errors are quickly addressed and resolved.

(3) Breakdown criticism

Never give criticism in large doses. Your subordinate might feel so overwhelmed with the amount of improvement that he needs to make, rendering him unable to think properly.

There is no perfect timing on when to provide criticism. However, it would be best to do so whenever an employee is doing a good job and you still see a room for improvement.

Through this, your subodinate can take in the criticism in a more positive light.

(4) Let them provide their solutions

One trick in giving criticism without entering a conflict is by asking questions when talking to your subordinates.

Ask him why he thinks he's been called. If he says there is a problem with his performance, ask what the problem is and how he think he can improve.

Not only did this save you the time in thinking how you could provide solutions to his problems, your subordinate will also see that you are not bossing him around.

(5) Listen

When your subordinate is explaining his side to you, make sure that you give all your attention to him and understand what he is trying to say.

Butting in and cutting him short would only make him think that you are not interested in trying to know his side and you only want to solve things immediately without giving much thought about his feelings.

Listening also exercises your judgment which is important especially when you have to call the shots in a make or break situation involving the company's future.

(6) Criticize the behavior, not the person

There are a lot of things that could be done more efficiently if you just put a positive twist to it. This includes criticism.

Don't make your employee feel any worse by criticizing him for doing something wrong.

Instead, target the problem and ask him in a positive way on how he could improve or correct his mistakes. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News